2015 Toyota Prius C is More Loaded, Safer

Toyota Motor Philippines is giving its subcompact hybrid, the Prius C a minor makeover for 2015 to keep it fresh. It gets both cosmetic and safety-related change which make Toyota’s entry-level hybrid much more value-oriented.
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Review: 2015 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 TDI

Photos by Ulysses Ang

The Volkswagen Jetta has always lived in the shadow of its more famous (and sportier looking) sibling, the Golf. And though most see this as something less than desirable, it also means that the Jetta is one of the best kept automotive secrets; one that requires you to do a bit of digging through the details to appreciate. Though most VW enthusiasts are patiently waiting for the imminent arrival of the Golf (and the subsequent hotter version, the GTI), after spending some good seat time with the Jetta 2.0 TDI, it can be said for certain: there’s no need for waiting. The Golf is here, albeit wearing a sedan body shell.
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Review: 2015 Nissan Sylphy 1.8V

Photos by Ulysses Ang

What’s in a name? This is perhaps the question that faced the marketing gurus at Nissan Philippines when they raised their compact car from the grave with an all-new nameplate. Like the builders of the Tower of Babel, there was shock and then utter confusion: Syl-what? How do you spell that? Like “selfie”? Whatever happened to Sentra? From an outsider looking in, it didn’t make sense. ‘Sentra’ had such a strong recall, so why kill the name? You don’t have to look far to realize that Nissan themselves or more specifically the former distributors who handed the brand caused the Sentra’s demise. Ask anyone below the age of thirty what they think of ‘Sentra’ and only two things come to mind: taxi cabs and cold air conditioning. These aren’t exactly the best adjectives to hear when you’re trying to resurrect the brand, but the reality must be faced: the era of the B13 is over. And Nissan Philippines knows that entirely.
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Honda Cars Philippines Adds 3 New Variants to Civic Line-Up

Honda Cars Philippines is slowly re-aligning its Civic compact sedan to have more salient features which buyers are increasing looking out for. For the 2015 model year, Honda is bringing the Civic’s total variant range to six in either 1.8- or 2.0-liter displacements. And for the first-time ever (since the FD), it will be available with a 5-speed manual transmission box for the entry-level 1.8 S variant.
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2014 Mazda3 vs the Competition

So where does the all-new 2014 Mazda3 stack up against its compact car competition. Here, we’re pitting the 2.0 R 4-door against its most likely 2.0-liter competition: the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla Atlis, Mitsubishi Lancer EX, Subaru Impreza, and Ford Focus.

The information presented below cannot be too segment specific since this will be a new feature of this site (each time a new car comes out), so you cannot expect things like Active City Stop, i-Eloop, etc. This serves as a handy reference guide only. The best figures are presented in bold.

The chart below is a high-resolution .PNG file. In order to see it, you can simply click it. Otherwise, you can open it in a New Window or click ‘Save As’.
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Mazda Philippines Redefines the Compact Car Class with All-New Mazda3 (w/ Complete Specs)

UPDATE 2: Our first drive of the all-new Mazda3 is here (4/15/2014).

UPDATE: See how the all-new Mazda3 stacks up against the competition here (4/14/2014).

Ten years since the Mazda3 nameplate made its debut on Philippine soil, its third and latest generation arrives on local shores. Packing the most recent evolutions in all the key aspects that have made the first and second models (launched locally in 2004 and 2012, respectively) a success both here and abroad, the all-new Mazda3 pushes the boundaries in vehicle design, engineering, and manufacture not just at the level of the C-segment, but of the automotive industry as a whole.
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MIAS 2014: Kia Shows Off Some Soul, Yours Starting at P 970,000

Columbian Autocar Corporation (CAC) is showing off the second-generation Soul at the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) happening this weekend. Though it shares similar lines to its most immediate predecessor, the 2014 Soul is all-new and is inspired by the Track’ster Concept shown in 2012.
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MIAS 2014: The Icon Returns: Volkswagen Beetle Returns to Manila (w/ Complete Specs)

Automobile Central Enterprises, Inc., the official distributor of Volkswagen cars in the Philippines is finally celebrating the return of its most recognizable icon: The Beetle. No less than Fernando Zobel de Ayala and his brother Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala led the festivities at The Mind Museum at the Bonifacio Global City before the public unveil at the 2014 Manila International Auto Show.
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MIAS 2014: Tata Manza INI (w/ Complete Specs)

Taking forward its luxurious lineage, the new Manza INI sets a new benchmark for sedan buyers in the mid-sized car segment with its plush interiors and state-of-the-art technology features. The car's contemporary stance is as easy on the eyes as it is dominant on the roads.
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Subaru Launches Most Affordable Impreza Yet: 2.0i CVT at P 1,128,000

The compact car war is certainly heating up this 2014 as Subaru distributor, Motor Image Pilipinas launches its most affordable Impreza yet, the 2.0i. Priced at just P 1,128,000, the 2014 Subaru Impreza 2.0i comes equipped with the company’s efficient and responsive Lineartronic CVT as standard. It replaces the even more expensive 2.0i M/T that cost P 30,000 more. It’s also cheaper than the previous generation (GH7) Impreza’s automatic transmission that would have been P 60,000 more.

And yet, a glance at the 2014 Impreza 2.0i spec sheet reveals even more technology for the price.
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UPDATED: Nissan Modernizes its Compact Car, Launches the Sylphy (w/ Complete Specs)

EDITOR’S NOTE: The photos published here are of the global Nissan Teana model. We’ll try to get official photos from Nissan Philippines as well as give you the complete specs in another update. We gave them some time, but they didn’t make it as of press time.

UPDATE: The complete specs are now available after the break.

Nissan’s opening salvo for the Philippine market is a global model that’s sold in more than 120 markets worldwide including the USA, Japan, China, and Thailand. It’s one of Nissan’s global core models and one that’s replacing the brand’s storied brand, the Sentra. Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing Nissan’s new compact sedan (C-segment): the Sylphy.
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Review: 2014 Toyota Corolla Altis 2.0 V

Photos by Ulysses Ang

I can’t remember the first time I felt so excited about driving a Toyota Corolla. After all, its reputation precedes it; it’s been the butt of jokes over its dull as cardboard driving experience. But, it’s cemented its reputation as a no-nonsense, ultra-reliable-until-the-world-ends type of car that’s created a following of over 40 million user-choosers. For all intents and purposes, Toyota could have continued churning out Corollas in the same recipe as the original, but instead they injected some new flavors. The question is: is this tangy new twist going to do wonders to the Corolla formula or is this simply the automotive equivalent of New Coke?
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